"Nudism is Garbowicz's only legitimate outlet for seeking children. In the typical pedophile seduction process, members of a nudist colony are unwittingly assisting the pedophile because of the mere fact that nudity desensitizes a child to totally removing his or her clothes." --Anonymous Justice Dept. Official, May, 1991. Leon Garbowicz, a practicing Milwaukee psychiatrist, and member of the Childhood Sensuality Circle, never wrote to The Naturist Society after May of 1985. One reason was that Garbowicz was arrested in January of that year and extradited to Florida (Orange County) after he violated the terms of his probation by importing child pornography. According to court records, Garbowicz had been convicted (in 1979) in Orange County Circuit Court in Orlando for a lewd assault on a male child after he gave the boy beer, liquor, and marijuana. He was also charged with procuring a minor to pose for explicit sexual photographs. But according to court records, that charge was dropped. He received 15 years probation. Then, in 1984, U.S. Customs identified Garbowicz as the second largest recipient of child pornography in the state at that time. Agents from U.S. Customs Service and the Wisconsin Department of Justice began investigating him after seizing a series of pornographic materials depicting children that were addressed to his Milwaukee residence from a company operating out of Denmark and the Netherlands. The manufacturer was distributing pornography under the trade name, C.O.Q. (pronounced cock). During a related "probation inspection," his house was searched and more than 100 magazines, over 200 photographs, and six video cassettes depicting children in sexually explicit poses were seized. Also seized was a collection of soiled boys' underwear, pubic hair taped to dated index cards (indicating that since his first arrest, there had probably been other molestation victims that the police were unable to locate), and video and camera equipment, which were also in direct violation of the terms of Garbowicz's probation. At the time of his most recent arrest, his probation officer said he would recommend probation once again saying, "He [Garbowicz] has a problem, but he's trying to cope with it." When Garbowicz was arrested, he was employed as a psychiatrist at DePaul Rehabilitation Hospital. His duties included consultations with patients in the adult and adolescent drug and alcohol treatment programs. Garbowicz was originally prohibited from associating with any males younger than 18 as a condition of his probation, but the condition was modified in 1981 to allow him to associate with boys "in the administration of his professional responsibilities as a practicing licensed psychiatrist." In 1985, Garbowicz received eight years in prison with mandatory parole after his release. His license to practice psychiatry has now been revoked. He is currently incarcerated in a Florida prison and is scheduled for release soon. There has been no move to add Leon Garbowicz to the American Sunbathing Association's Caution List. It's too bad, too, because once he is released from prison, Garbowicz will surely begin recontacting nudist groups. Recently, I interviewed a law enforcement officer who took part in the investigation of Garbowicz. This officer has taken part in dozens of other investigations involving sexual molestation and exploitation of children in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Many of his cases have focused on pedophile offenders. He also teaches pedophile profiling and investigative techniques to other law enforcement agencies. He has requested to speak as an individual rather than as representing the government agency where he works. This is what he has to say about Garbowicz and nudism: "Nudism is Garbowicz's only legitimate outlet for seeking children. In the typical pedophile seduction process, members of a nudist colony are unwittingly assisting the pedophile because of the mere fact that nudity desensitizes a child to totally removing his or her clothes." Many experts in law enforcement and child welfare will agree that nudists are removing a level of protection that children have to shield themselves from sexual assailants. The nudists, if they really care about children, or their own "lifestyle," had better start making up for that vulnerability by educating children about effective ways to protect themselves. If they don't, they are going to regret it . . . We're going to see to that.

by Nikki Craft

Reprinted from the ICONoclast.Copyright (c) Nikki Craft. All rights reserved.Commercial Use Prohibited.